Y'all ain't gonna believe this but she puked again yesterday. I had towed maybe 400 miles over a bunch of passes and out to Yellowstone east entrance and no problems no pukes. Then yesterday a tow from Yellowstone to Billings with only one moderate climb and it pukes. Then to top that off I put my spare cap (new) on and was gonna test the one on there but I dropped it on the concrete and it flew apart. It failed the test later but that was after I put it back together so I can't depend on that. Also, I got a new cap from the dealer and this one was different. When tight it clicks and won't go tighter. So I'll see what that does. Also I changed the tune on the H&S to mild/s1 m/ and run it on stock. That's a change of the tranny settings only, I'm still running on stock setting. I did that to hold down the tranny temp. So, I'll drive over to the black hills tomorrow and see what happens. Even though it puked it did not get all that hot, highest I remember seeing was 211. So.... I have absolutely no idea whats going on but as long as it's not over heating I'm just gonna keep it full of coolant and truck on.

 

Isn't that something, it would be hard to believe the cap would be bad but weirder things have happened.

 

I wouldn't make a habit of just adding coolant as we all know catastrophic engine failure can result due to coolant type failures are usually the tip of the iceberg.

Also make sure you maintain a 50:50 coolant/distilled water ratio to prevent internal engine corrosion and therefore causing the oil cooler plugging up causing even more costly repairs.

In addition I don't subscribe to the coolant cap being defective and causing your coolant puking.

Good luck...

 

I'm watching it like a hawk. This is driving me crazy. Yes, when I say I am adding coolant it is always a 50/50 mix with distilled water. Coolant was filled to middle of cold fill lines yesterday. Drove maybe 100 miles, no towing. This morning it is down to bottom of cold fill lines. No puke. just down.

I filled to middle of cold fill area, added 6 ounces. Hooked up trailer and towed 100 miles or so with a couple pretty stout hills. Nothing got hot at all. All temps very much in bounds. Stopped and checked coolant and it was down to near the bottom of the tank with some puke tracks on the tank. I loosened cap and watched the coolant come back up to the cold fill area, large air (I guess) bubbles coming up from the bottom of the tank.

Retightened cap, cleaned all the puke tracks off and drove another 100 miles or so with some good hard pulls, all temps were very fine. Stopped and checked and coolant was down toward bottom of tank, no signs of puke. I loosened the cap and coolant stayed at that level. No sign of air. I added 1 quart and brought coolant to cold fill area.

Drove another 150 miles with some very hard pulls toward the end (black hills) all temps remained well within acceptable levels, when I checked the coolant level was just where I left it and there were no puke tracks.

I towed 350 miles today with a number of stout pulls (east Montana, Wyoming and the black hills of SD. The coolant acted strange as detailed above but I watched all the temps like a hawk and it was a very routine trip with only a couple elevated temps where they were expected, and then a return to normal. As the teens say WTF???????

 

Back over a year ago, I was having some issues that seem similar, but not exact. I pulled to Colorado and back. I did not notice the puking but coolant was being lost to the tune of about half way between the lines you described. I did not see any leak, or coolant on the ground after a stop. I took it to my Ford Service Dealer and they found that an EGR hose was giving up the fluid. They replaced the degass bottle with the new style and cap, all was under warranty at the time. I have not had an issue since. The diesel tech said that he was surprise that I was not loosing coolant out the degase but again stranger things can happen. Again, never could see any where that the coolant was leaking. Just a thought guy, just a thought.

 

Hey thanks, that's what I'm hoping, EGR related. What I don't get is that it is intermittent. On the way out I towed from Kentucky to Livingston Montana without a bit of trouble. I thought it was fixed. Then I went a week around Glacier and down to Cody WY and then out to Yellowstone without a problem. So, I'm going to hang here a day or two and if I have to I'll take it to a local Ford dealer. I'd rather get it home where I know who I'm dealing with. I'm out of warranty and modified. Some folks might take advantage of the situation I'm in. Once it's in there and they come out and tell you they have it apart and the widget has imploded and it's 4000 bucks to replace it what can you do? Anyway, thanks for the input, that does sound similar.

 

Your EGR isn't doing anything, unless one of the hoses is leaking but why would that cause a puke. There's water going through the EGR coolers but with your truck deleted the EGR valve is turned of so no flow of gasses.

 

yeah, I'm thinking it has to be a head gasket, or more likely the head lifting, I think I'll look for a place to take it today. Bummer.

 

I think they can do a test to see if there are combustion type gases in the coolant.
I still wouldn't write it off as a head gasket, seems that it would be more repetitive if it was.

 

correct me if I'm wrong, because I run Spartan, BUT just because you are deleted doesn't mean that your EGR is disabled.. unless you actually have it set to be disabled, once again I'm speaking from what I THINK I remeber hearing, but with H&S you can change a setting so that you can turn off or on the EGR.. with that being said, you said in earier posts, that you were running completely stock, even the tranny settings... well stock with a DPF delete. So wouldn't your EGR be ON... if thats the case then I don't think it can be ruled out. Like I said, I run spartan, so I might be completely wrong on my memory of the H&S settings and such.

 

I believe your right on the Coolant test, and I agree with it not "seeming" to be the HG.

 

Thanks guys, I THINK the H&S does disable the EGR in all settings. I have no idea what is going on. I guess I'm thinking that one head might be lifting at times. Nothing else makes any sense. I just need it figured out. I want to get it to Georgia but not if I'm doing further damage to the engine.

 

Stanley, I have been thinking either head gasket or thermostats as well. Just wondered if the Tstats were bad as a lot were in the beginning. Hope it's not the gaskets! Hoping for the best!

 

I had another thought, but first to answer countryboy's EGR delete thought. On the H&S when you do a delete it automatically deletes the EGR.
My thought is that since the EGR is off, could be a high pressure leak in one of the EGR coolers that when there is high exhaust pressure on the system, (steaming up a mountain) that your getting a one way leak, combustion into the cooling system, since the EGR is at the end of the system after the coolers. IDK, it's just a thought, I guess when you have it looked at once you get home you maybe will have the answer.

 

I still am against the heads lifting, or blown HG's... it happens to randomly under the similar/same situations... I'm as confused as you, but it just doesnt' make sense to me for it to be the HG's...

Maybe try running it tuned on a tow setting, and tranny tow setting.. does it make it worse or better? If it's worse, then maybe the symptoms will reveal them selves more and point you in the right direction, and maybe a HG.. if symtom's stay the same then I don't believe it's a HG at all.. cause you would be increasing drive pressure with a higher tune, and if still know puking, then I think that would rule out the HG's... Right? or maybe point a finger at the coolers?